Lmcg Investments LLC Makes New Investment in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Lmcg Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 5,712 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $991,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Numerai GP LLC grew its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies by 966.2% in the third quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 37,220 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,501,000 after buying an additional 33,729 shares in the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 134,542 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $24,960,000 after acquiring an additional 11,648 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP boosted its holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP now owns 934,732 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $173,411,000 after acquiring an additional 8,283 shares during the period. CSM Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $1,180,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies by 26.4% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 136,179 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $27,444,000 after purchasing an additional 28,419 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,656 shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.71, for a total transaction of $2,693,441.76. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 116,811 shares in the company, valued at $18,889,506.81. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.1%

MRSH opened at $178.81 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $86.38 billion, a PE ratio of 22.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.61. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a one year low of $156.60 and a one year high of $216.32. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.08. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a return on equity of 31.87% and a net margin of 14.26%.The firm had revenue of $7.30 billion during the quarter. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 23rd will be given a $0.99 dividend. This is a positive change from Marsh & McLennan Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.90. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 23rd. This represents a $3.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s payout ratio is 45.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $203.00 to $178.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $200.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $200.44.

Key Stories Impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Marsh & McLennan Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated its Buy rating and raised its price target on Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH) to $212, signaling confidence in further upside. UBS Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Marsh & McLennan Companies (MRSH)
• Positive Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald also lifted its price target on MRSH to $218 and kept an Overweight rating, reinforcing the view that the shares still have meaningful upside. Benzinga report on Cantor Fitzgerald price target increase
• Positive Sentiment: Marsh & McLennan raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to $0.99 per share, a sign of strong cash generation and continued commitment to returning capital to shareholders. Marsh Raises Dividend: Is Its Capital Return Story Getting Stronger?
• Neutral Sentiment: Mizuho modestly increased its price target to $197 while keeping a Neutral rating, adding to the overall analyst attention but offering a more balanced view. Benzinga report on Mizuho price target increase
• Neutral Sentiment: The company also formally declared the new quarterly dividend, payable in August, confirming the higher payout and supporting the stock’s income appeal. Dividend declaration details

Marsh & McLennan Companies Profile

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC) is a global professional services firm headquartered in New York City that provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and people. Founded in 1905, the company has grown into a diversified group of businesses focused on insurance brokerage and risk management, reinsurance, human capital and investment consulting, and management consulting. Its long history and scale position it as a prominent adviser to corporations, governments and other institutions seeking to manage risk and optimize human and financial capital.

The firm operates through several well-known subsidiaries and business units that specialize in distinct services.